The blog will offer purely objective and candid analyses for a better understanding of the events that keep happening and that provide dynamism and direction to the flow of the history and development of the human societies. Being a forum, the comments and opinions from readers whether for or against the views expressed in it, are gratefully welcome. Suggestions for improving the blog are welcome.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

The Negative Politics of the Opposition Parties in Pakistan

May 1, 2017

By Saeed QureshiThe
next general elections in Pakistan are due to be held within three months after
June 4, 2018. It means that hardly a year is left for the incumbent government
of the PMNL to remain in governance. Right or wrong the PMNL came into power
through an established democratic process. Let is complete its constitutional
tenure in office for the remaining period. It is certain that the incumbent prime
minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharif would not contest elections in 2018. If the
opposition is so committed to root out corruption from Pakistan and arraign
Mian Nawaz Sharif and his two sons as a result of Panama leaks then the best
time would be to win elections against the PMNL and initiate legal inquiry against
the family’s offshore accounts. Similar action can then be taken against Mian
Shahbaz Sharif the younger brother of the prime minister and incumbent chief
minister of Punjab province.Imran
Khan has been targeting solely Mian Nawaz Sharif and his family for the past several
years for misdeeds and monetary corruption, as witnessed by his fiery speeches
and prolonged Dharnas (sit ins) in Islamabad. Imran Khan has made several
attempts to dislodge Nawaz Sharif or to force him to resign. Yet somehow Mr.
Khan’s campaigning didn’t click in his favor. In the local elections and those
in Azad Kashmir PTI lost badly. It demonstrated that notwithstanding his tall
claims and impracticable revolutionary slogans, the people didn’t vote for Imran
Khan. The
latest divided verdict of the supreme court allowing Mian Nawaz Sharif to remain
in his seat is another setback for Imran Khan to force the prime minister to
resign. Overall it looks as if Imran Khan has personal grudge or vendetta or some
hidden agenda against Mian Nawaz, his brother and even the entire family. But
while Imran Khan has come to be known as a stubborn and unbending foe of Mian
Nawaz Sharif, the other political parties of late have also joined the fray and
started harping on the anti-PMNL and anti- Mian Nawaz tunes and his resignation
on the basis of corruption. The PPP
whose whole lot is composed of corrupt individuals both morally and financially
is also demanding prime minister’s ouster for bad governance and for financial
malpractices. This demand has come particularly from Asif Ali Zardari the
co-chairman of the PPP who himself is known as the embodiment of corruption and
hoarding wealth through every conceivable means. Someone has so aptly remarked
recently that if Mr. Zardari is raising voice against corruption the it is the
sure sign of the imminent coming of the “Doom’s Day”.The
religio-political party Jamaat-Islami has always remained a sidelined political
outfit. It has been variously indulging in street politics and pursuing a
political culture of denial.It opposed
the creation of Pakistan and has never accepted its existence. Its present
leadership has fallen back on the old tunes.Its
leaders are making aggressive speeches against the federal government and highlighting
peoples’ day to day problems such as water and power shortage and bribery etc. Someone
may ask them is this corruption solely created by PMNL or the socio-economic
problems have never been there in Pakistan? If the
JI holds the PMNL responsible for people’s sufferings because of poor governance
and shortage of basic amenities then it is merely a blame game and fishing in
the troubled waters. Otherwise the fact is that the PMNL despite its
shortcomings has been going extra mile to improve the living conditions of the
people. The religious
and sectarian parties and groups are also accusing the PMNL government for all
unethical and unislamic demeanors and thus demanding its way-out. On top of it
the “Dawn Leaks” issue has surfaced. Even if Dawn issue has some truth then it
doesn’t mean that the federal government was responsible. It seems as if the
entire political lot of opposition wants the army rule or martial law to be
imposed. They don’t seem to care if as a result of that happening a political culture
and the democratic process that started after the exit of Pervez Musharraf
would be nullified. That would be a bad bargain.Let the
judicial system take its course as far as Panama Leaks and Dawn Leaks issues
are concerned. Pervez Rashid the PMNL information minister and Tariq Fatimi the
advisor on foreign affairs have been removed. The necessary action against
other officials and journalists responsible for this fiasco has been taken.The
point that I want to emphasize is that because of these peripheral issues, the
ongoing process of democratization should not be derailed. It would be a colossal
loss and a grievous set back to the democratic and political process that is somehow
in place for several years and should be allowed to remain on the track.In the meantime,
let the inquiry committee ordered by the supreme court should further probe
about the wealth and belonging and properties of not only Sharif family but others
publicly known corrupt people. Thereafter depending upon the outcome, the prime
minister may step down. But while such an inquiry is essential in case of
Sharif family then it should also probe the corruption and offshore assets of
all the politicians to clear the country of such a curse.The
next general elections must be held on schedule. If in the meantime army steps
in, the efforts starting from PPP government to the present to keep uninterrupted
march of democratic culture would be nullified. The country would again come
under the military boots and no one knows how long that army rule would continue.As such
the best and legitimate option for the politicians in the opposition of PMNL is
to prepare for the nationwide elections due to be held in 2018 and try to come into
power from the democratic door and not from the backdoor. In the meantime,
let CPEC be completed. No party or any government is more earnest and desirous
about the completion of this milestone project than the PMNL. I would reproduce
from the Wikipedia the summary of the benefits that would accrue to Pakistan
once this gigantic project is completed:“China–Pakistan Economic Corridor also known by the acronym CPEC) is a collection of infrastructure projects
currently under construction throughout Pakistan. Originally valued at $46 billion, the value of
CPEC projects is now worth $62 billion. CPEC is intended to rapidly
modernize Pakistani infrastructure and strengthen its economy by the
construction of: modern transportation networks, numerous energy projects, and special economic zones. On 13 November 2016, CPEC became partly operational
when Chinese cargo was transported overland to Gwadar
Port for onward maritime
shipment to Africa and West Asia. A vast network of highways and railways are to be built under the aegis of
CPEC that will span the length and breadth of Pakistan. Inefficiencies stemming
from Pakistan's mostly dilapidated transportation network are estimated by the
government to cause a loss of 3.5% of the country's annual gross domestic product.[7] Modern transportation networks built under CPEC
will link seaports in Gwadar and Karachi with northern Pakistan, as well as points further north in western China and Central
Asia. A 1,100 kilometer long
motorway will be built between the cities of Karachi and Lahore as part of CPEC, while the Karakoram
Highway between Rawalpindi and the Chinese border will be completely reconstructed and overhauled. The Karachi–Peshawar main railway line will also be upgraded to allow for train travel at
up to 160 km per hour by December 2019. Pakistan's railway network will
also be extended to eventually connect to China's Southern Xinjiang Railway in Kashgar. The estimated $11 billion required to modernize
transportation networks will be financed by subsidized concessionary
loans”

About Me

Columnist/Analyst/ Former Diplomat.
After obtaining my master’s degrees in Urdu and English literature from Punjab University, I started my career by teaching in a college. Thereafter, I had a stint in the diplomatic service of Pakistan. Finally I landed in journalism, an occupation that I am wedded to for over 20 years now.
I am a strong believer in a civil society and staunch opponent of exploitation in all forms.